Carrier-track



J. E. PORTER. CARRIER TRACK.

No. 482.411. Patented Sept. 13, 1892.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH E. PORTER, OF OTTAI'VA, ILLINOIS.

CARRIER-TRACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 482,411, dated September 13, 1892.

Application filed January 28, 1892 Serial No. 419,530. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH E. PORTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ottawa, in the county of La Salle and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tracks for Hay and other Car riers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of the supporting-tracks used with hay and other carriers, and especially to the coupling pieces used for securing abutting rails together in such tracks and to the means used for suspending the tracks.

The invention consists in the novel construct-ion of the several parts and the novel combinations of parts set forth below, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure l is a perspective of a portion of my improved track. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of myimproved rail-coupling. Fig. 3 is an end view of the same. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 shows the clamping parts of the hanging devices assembled, and Figs. 6 and 7 show the same parts detached. Fig. 8 shows the loop by which the clamp is supported from the beam or rafters of the building.

In the drawings, A A represent two abutting rails of a hay or other carrier track united by my improved coupling. This coupling is constructed as follows: A couplingpiece B is formed in an inverted-U shape. The essential feature of this coupling-piece is that its side plate or flanges b shall extend down to and serve as a means for positioning the base-flanges (Z of the rails in exact level with each other. As subsidiary features I may mention that the plates b may be bent inward toward each other, so as to come close to the webs of the rails and so that the shoulders c at the top of the plate Z2 may set under the head-flanges c of the rails. The lower edges of the plate I) are straight and horizontal, so that by the employment of devices for drawing the rails upward, and thus bringing the base-flanges against the edges of the plates, the latter are compelled to assume position in a common plane. In conjunction with this coupling B, I employ devices which draw the rails upward and compel the base-flanges to be in firm contact with the lower edges of the plates 1), thus securing with absolute certainty the positioning of the base-flanges of both rails at the same plane and thus presenting a smooth unbroken surface to the rollers of the carrier. These drawing devices consist of bolts F, passing through the top of the coupling and having at their lower endsjaws f, adapted to grasp the head of the rails, and nuts G upon the threaded end of the bolts and above the coupling. Vith this construc tion it will be seen that by turning the nuts down upon the bolts the rails can be drawn until their base-flanges press tightly against the lower edges of the coupling-piece, and as each rail is acted upon by one of these devices it will be further seen that the baseflanges of both rails will be brought to the to admit the grasping-jaws of the clampingbolt. The track is suspended by means of opposing hangers Hand I, which are provided with jaws h and 2', respectively, for grasping the opposite sides of the head or bead of the track-rails. These hangers coact to grasp the rail when placed together, with the shoulder m of one hanger bearing against the crotch n of the other hanger, and the upper ends of the hangers are brought close together. This will be understood from the drawings, wherein Fig. 5 shows them assembled but spread, so as to enable their jaws to be pressed down over the head of the rail. At their upper ends these hangers have openings 0, adapted to receive the loop J or other device by which they are secured to the beam or rafters of the building. The loop or its substitute should have a narrow crotch j, which will bring and hold the upper ends of the hangers close together, and thus secure the necessary action by the jaws h 1' upon the rail.

It will be seen that this hanger device requires no bolts or rivets to secure it to the rail and that there is no danger of its becoming detached after being once put together properly. It is readily detached and can be moved and applied to tracks already in use. It will also be seen that my coupling requires no drilling or cutting away of the rails and that it is also easily applied or detached.

I claim- 1. The combination, in a carrier-track and with abutting rails thereof, of a couplingpiece B, having straight-edged vertical webs or plates b, extending down to and adapted to bear upon the base-flanges of the rails, and devices for drawing the rails upwardly, so that said flanges will bear against the lower edges of said webs, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, in a carrier-track and with abutting rails thereof, of a couplingpiece B, having straight-edged vertical webs or plates 1), adapted to bear upon the basefianges of the rails, bolts F, adapted to grasp the head of the rails and extended upwardly through the piece 13, and nuts G above the piece B, substantially as specified.

3. As a means for suspending a hay-carrier track, the combination of the hangers having oppositely-turned non-pivoted jaws adapted to grasp the track, adapted to bear against each other at a point above said jaws, and having openings at their upper ends and the suspending-loop passing through said openings and provided with a crotch or bend for holding the hangers together, substantially as set forth.

JOSEPH E. PORTER.

Witnesses:

ERNST CLAUS, W. I. HARRIS. 

